Dematagoda accident: Mother, son get bail

The 15-year-old boy and his mother, who were arrested over a fatal accident in Dematagoda were released on bail today.

BJP wants to become Sinhale People’s Front

The Bodu Jana Peramuna (BJP), the political wing of the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), has requested the Elections Commissioner to rename their party as the United Sinhale People’s Front (USPF), its Secretary Nath Amarakoon said today.

Zika virus: SL on alert, says Minister

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne today said the Government had put up screening facilities for the Zika virus at the Bandaranaike International Airport and instructed the airport officials to be alert on the virus.

GMOA demands Rs.500mn from Gemunu

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) said today that it would send a letter of demand seeking Rs. 500 million from Malabe Medical Institute’s Parents Association member Gemunu Wijeratne for allegedly making defamatory statements against the GMOA.

Court rejects Gnanasara Thera’s bail application

The Homagama Magistrate today rejected the bail application submitted on behalf of the Bodu Bala Sena General Secretary the Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera, who was remanded till February 9 on the charge of contempt of court.

Levy on kilo of imported Mackerel increased to Rs.100

Cabinet approval has been obtained to increase the trade levy on a kilo of Mackerel --being imported for the production of canned fish -- from Rs.50 a kilo to Rs.100 a kilo, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Rajitha Senaratne said today.

Corruption: TI ranks SL, China at 83

Sri Lanka and China were ranked at 83 simultaneously out of 168 countries in the World Corruption Perception Index compiled by the Germany based Transparency International (TI) released yesterday, January 27.

Video: Gnanasara Thera files bail application

A bail application of General Secretary of the Bodu Bala Sena Ven. Galagodatte Gnanasara Thera, who is on remand on the charge of contempt of court, was filed this morning in the Homagama magistrate’s court.  Attorney at Law Sumudu Kantha Hewage handed over the motion to the Court Registrar.

Nishantha Wickramasinghe at PRECIFAC

SriLankan airlines’ former chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) this morning to give a statement over alleged financial irregularities which had taken place in the SriLankan airlines catering service.

Cabinet not decided on Anthem language

The Cabinet is reportedly divided over the opinion on the proposal to sing the National Anthem both in Sinhala and Tamil languages at the National Independence Day event this time, it is learnt.

Vehicles stoned on expressway: Police look for suspects

Police are seeking to arrest a gang of hooligans that caused mayhem by pelting stones at moving vehicles on the E1 Southern Expressway near Gelanigama on Tuesday night, causing serious damage to eight cars.

PM to make statement on overseas accounts

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will make a statement in Parliament with regard to the revelations made by Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Rajitha Senaratne on bank accounts in Dubai belonging to a former VVIP family, an MP and a head of a government institution, which exceeded USD 3 billion.

Live Events will pay up

'Live Events', (the company that organised last December's controversial Enrique Iglesias concert at the CR&FC Grounds) had agreed to settle the tax payment to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) after it was accused of not paying the correct amount, said Municipal Commissioner M.K.V. Anura yesterday.

Foreign Service: SL to follow Singapore

A system of appointing non-resident ambassadors would be introduced as means of modernising the country's Foreign Service, Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera informed Parliament today.

BBS accuses law enforces of double standards

Different standards were applied by the law enforcers to MP Hirunika Premachandra (when she was arrested for allegedly kidnapping someone) and the Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera when he was charged with contempt of court and the disruption of court proceedings, alleged the Collective of National Bikkhu Organisations today.

Embilipitiya police did not get 119 complaint: Sagala

The investigations on the incident in Embilipitiya, where a young man was killed, took a dramatic turn as it had been revealed now that no one had informed the Police about a clash to Police on the Police Emergency hotline 119, Minister of Law and Order Sagala Ratnayake said in Parliament today.

Arrest them all, says Homagama Court

Homagama Magistrate Ranga Dissanayake today ordered the Homagama Police to arrest all the people who behaved in a violent manner on charges of contempt of court and produce before the court before February 9.

Gnanasara Thera in Prison Hospital

Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) Secretary General Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara was admitted to the Welikada Prison Hospital due to sudden illness this evening.

Lankan government makes significant progress: HRW

Sri Lanka’s government has ended the pervasive culture of surveillance and censorship and embarked on reforms aimed to undo years of increasingly authoritarian rule, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today in its World Report 2016.

Ex-CJ Bandaranayake before Bribery Commission

Lawyers for former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in connection with the ongoing case against Ms. Bandaranayake.

Court orders arrest of Embilipitiya HQI, ASP

The Embilipitiya Magistrate today issued arrest warrants on the suspects over the clash and the death of a man in Embilipitiya. The victim’s wife today gave evidence in Court and said the Embilipitiya HQI and the ASP were to be accused for her husband’s death.

K’deniyawa OIC transferred to Kegalle Division

Kotadeniyawa Police OIC H.W.S. Udayakumara has been transferred to the Kegalle Division on a service requirement, Police said.They said Welioya Division OIC D.D. Wickramasinghe was transferred to Kotadeniyawa while Inspector D.M.P. Dissanayake has been transferred from the Polonnaruwa Division to the Welioya Division as the OIC.

Int’l involvement not ruled out: PM

In an interview with the Channel 4 news, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said that the government had not ruled out international involvement in the probe into alleged war crimes.

Filipino maid beaten to death by Lankan maid

A Sri Lankan housemaid is on trial in Fujairah on charges of beating to death a Filipino maid working at the same house, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.

No rains for a few more weeks: Met Dept.

The Meteorology Department said today the existing warm weather conditions will prevail over most parts of the country and that there would be no rains for the next few weeks.

Pillayan re-remanded till Feb. 10

Former Eastern Province Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillayan who was arrested in connection with the murder of former parliamentarian Joseph Pararajasingham, was further remanded till February 10 by Batticaloa Magistrate Ganesha Rajasah today.

Arrest warrant out for fake facebook profiler

The Colombo Chief Magistrate yesterday ordered the Department of Immigration & Emigration to arrest a suspect on arrival or departure, after he was named as a suspect by the CID in a case involving the creation of fake facebook profiles and blackmailing people through them.

Don’t label us as Indian Tamils: TPA

The Tamil Progressive Alliance (TPA) yesterday urged the government to stop referring to the up-country Tamil community as “Indian Tamils” and in future to refer to them as “Indian origin Malayaga Tamils” in the New Constitution.

Joint Opp. slams Govt's stance on kidney transplantation

The Joint Opposition yesterday said the Government was suppressing the professionals and that was why it has stopped kidney transplantation and also opted for the proposed Economic and Technology Cooperative Agreement (ETCA) with India.

SLFP chairman should stop any divisions: CBK

Former president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga responding to a question asked by journalists on attempts by a section of the SLFP to form a new party under the leadership of ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa, pointed out that it was the party's chairman who should decide on this matter and said had she been the chairperson she would have known how to handle them.